HYDERABAD: The state government had initiated steps to merge potential Gram Panchayats into Urban Local Bodies. The government wants that major Gram Panchayats with a population of more than 15,000 and Gram Panchayats adjoining the existing urban local body (within 1-5 km) be considered for either the constitution of new Urban Local Body (ULB) or merging with the existing ULB respectively.
In order to expedite the work, the government has appointed as many as nine special officers to each district to identify potential Gram Panchayats having urban characteristics and suitable for either constitution as new ULB or merging them with nearest ULB.
The appointed special officers will visit every district headquarter and conduct meeting with the district collectors, and submit the list of potential gram panchayats to the government immediately. MAUD officials told Express that special officers who are assigned the districts include GHMC chief city planner S Devender Reddy for Mahabubnagar, Jogulamba-Gadwal Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool and others.